Here's how you can cultivate a robust support network to enhance your career resilience as a teacher.

Cultivating a robust support network as a teacher starts with building strong connections with your peers. Engaging with colleagues within your school or district allows you to exchange experiences, strategies, and insights, fostering a collaborative environment. These relationships can lead to meaningful opportunities such as co-teaching, team projects, and creative problem-solving. By sharing challenges and successes, you can offer and receive empathy that is unique to your profession, enhancing your career resilience and growth. Remember, support from fellow educators can make all the difference in navigating the demands of teaching.

One of the most valuable resources is the connection with fellow teachers. I’ve found that sharing experiences and ideas with peers who understand the unique challenges of education is incredibly empowering. In my own practice, peer connection has led to collaborative teaching strategies and shared resources that have improved both my teaching and curriculum development. A strong peer network can provide fresh perspectives and moral support, especially when navigating difficult situations.

It is so important to connect with peers not only for tips and tricks, but also to maintain your own mental wellbeing. Addition to connecting with colleagues on your own campus and your own district, I’ve always found it very helpful to look for online and in person communities as well. See if you can find a regular meet up or message board that aligns with your philosophy and get started reaching out.

-- Join a professional learning community or group. -- Reach out to a mentor or coach. -- Participate in workshops and training sessions focused on mental health and wellbeing. -- Make time for selfcare activities and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

Thanks to my previous experience in sales, when I entered public school teaching I was well prepared to network with any potential partner. While teaching bilingual fourth graders for two years, our team collaborated extensively on lesson planning and group support. The principal then assigned me to library enrichment where I worked with other enrichment teachers to offer a theme for our classes over several weeks. Unfortunately, I was not successful when I tried several times to create co-teaching opportunities with ELA and SLA teachers timing library books with their calendar of lesson plans. Fortunately, I enjoyed great success organizing a library capital campaign that received donations from the community and school.

Having a mentor is essential for professional growth. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have mentors who guided me through challenges and helped me see the bigger picture. As I transitioned into curriculum management, I also took on the role of mentoring others, and it’s been equally rewarding. Whether you’re the mentee or mentor, this relationship builds confidence and helps you navigate career decisions with greater clarity.

This brings me back to my very early days of teaching. I was blessed to be in a classroom with the most extraordinary teacher. I'm not sure if she knows it, but she showed me how compassion, silence, confidence and transparency work from a very young age when teaching. That students, no matter how difficult respond to all the above as well as fun and love. It gave me a stepping stone to what I wanted to achieve in class, I certainly stumbled, made mistakes but through my teaching career, even today many years down the track, I've been humbled to come across some teachers who share a wealth of skills and knowledge openly and whole heartedly.

Throughout my career mentoring and being a mentee has always been a highlight for me. While it can seem overwhelming at first to find the right person, building that lasting connection can really help your pedagogy and teaching practice takeoff. A few things That I find helpful when looking for the right mentor is first of all making sure that your philosophy is align and then reaching out and making sure they have the time before sharing what you’re looking for and why you think they are a great fit.

I was a kidnap survivor who turned my trauma into triumph. My healing started when one of my mentors and friend challenged me to "Learn to Live Forward". Weeks after my release, I still felt unwanted, unworthy and undeserving. I was at the brink. Until my friend broke into that sea of darkness, depression and despair. He was sorry for what I was going through; but he also stated that he knows I have a lot going for me. This is the power of mentoring.

Joining professional groups and associations within the education sector can open doors to a wealth of resources and connections. I’ve been a part of various education and STEM-focused groups that have introduced me to new teaching methods, conferences, and even collaborations with other educators. These groups not only keep you up-to-date on industry trends but also give you access to a wider network of professionals who can offer advice and support.

I really embrace this topic. I'd like to find more face - to face groups. We had some extraordinary women's morning breakfasts which included strategies to improve, updates, new people, projects and more. It's such a shame these are not as readily available. It would be grand if anyone knew of any around southern Italy.

Professional groups are very helpful because of the shared experience and understanding. Being a part of these groups give you many advantages. Serving and volunteering with them is a sure way to gain access and support from your senior colleagues.

Online forums are an excellent way to connect with educators from around the world. I’ve participated in coding and tech education forums where educators share lesson plans, troubleshooting tips, and even discuss broader topics like classroom management. These spaces offer a sense of community, especially for educators working in niche areas like coding and technology. The discussions can spark new ideas, and the support from the online community can help you through challenging times.

Staying resilient also means staying current. I’ve always prioritized continuous learning, whether it’s exploring new coding languages or understanding the latest educational technologies. By attending workshops, webinars, and online courses, I’ve been able to keep my skills sharp and introduce fresh ideas to my students. Learning doesn’t just improve your teaching—it revitalizes your enthusiasm for your profession.

It is so important to practice what we preach. We are always telling our students to be lifelong learners, and we need to do the same. Unfortunately, the financial cost of attending lots of conferences can quickly stack up, but I recommend looking for grants that might help as well as reaching out to your leadership team to see what they can offer. Once you have the right opportunity, I suggest looking at the website of the conference or workshop because they almost always have a pre-written letter that you can print and share with your administrator to try and convince them to let you go.